with Matheus Verardino

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Harmonica Lessons and Workshops

Besides the free podcast and the workshops that I offer on this site I also teach privately in my studio, in your place or through the webcam.

If you want to set up a private lesson just email me and we will take it from there.
I think anybody can play and have fun with this great instrument so do not give up before you start! Give the harmonica a chance!

Each student is different and the learning curve may vary from person to person.

Here is a brief outline of the topics covered throughout my diatonic harmonica course.

-Scales and patterns to practice in order build speed and precision.
-Understanding scales & Modes.
-Major Scales.
-Minor Scale – Natural minor, Dorian and Harmonic minor.
-Major Pentatonic scale.
-Blues scale.
-What scales are possible on different positions over the diatonic harp by
using just bends?
-Modes.
-4th position:
-Songs
Summertime
Manhã de Carnaval (also known as “A day in the life of a fool”).
-5th Position:
House of the rising sun
Minor Blues improv
-12th Position:
Georgia on my mind
Hard Times(Ray Charles)
-How to perform basic maintenance, setting up your reeds for your style of playing and
tuning your harmonica.
-Overbends:
-Overblows and Overdraws
-Preparing your harmonica for overbends
-Learning how to produce a full chromatic scale over the diatonic harmonica
-How to produce an overblow and an overdraw more accurately
-How to sustain and bend the overblow and overdraw
-When to use and when not to use overbends
-Exploring the same l licks in different octaves using overbends
(Now licks that you were able to obtain only on one octave can be
transferred to other octaves).

-Getting away from the blues and exploring other styles on the diatonic harp:

Bluegrass, Irish, Fiddle tunes, Waltzes…

-Exploring the “Powerbender” an alternate tuning on the diatonic harmonica
(tuning created by Brendan Power).

Incorporating the chromatic harmonica.

This is just a brief outline of the topics I teach my students. Each one of them can be unfolded and explored more thoroughly depending on the student’s demand.
I hope this can give you an idea of the amazing possibilities and uses of this wondeful instrument.
I am looking forward to hear from you!
All the best,
Matheus Verardino